Homework

Meeting Snow

Well I'm not really sure why you’re badgering me out of all seven of us! As if I don't have enough on my mind!

I mean seriously! I have enough to deal with! I work down that mine all day, I get no sunlight. The dust down there has just about finished with my lungs I’m exhausted every evening on the way home. It's not an easy life.

Anyway, what was it you wanted to know?

Oh right, how we met Snow. Well it was a particularly cold and wet night, the wind howled through the trees sending shivers through my spine. I have a pain in my leg that always flares up in this weather so I had a slight limp. The forest was alive with ghost and ghouls, or at least we were sure the sounds we could hear had to be some haunting presence. The shadows cast down by the tree branches like long bony hands did nothing to help matters. Needless to say we were on high alert. We seven stick together because our safety depends on numbers. Don’t get me wrong we are fairly strong, and I am known to be the angriest, but our size can at times be an disadvantage.

Anyway, I wasn't in my nicest mood, I was wet, hungry and all that faffing around in the shadows expecting a witch or monster to spring up on us was seriously getting on my nerves. The others were convinced they could hear a girls cries and I insisted they needed to give the ghost stories round the campfire a rest! What would a girl be doing the forest crying?

Well you can imagine my annoyance at having all six of them whispering 'I told you so!' While they stared at this pale face sleeping huddled against a tree. She must have been exhausted, she cried in her sleep and as much as we tried to wake her up she was consumed in her nightmare. It can’t have been easy sitting alone in the forest, poor girl must have been terrified. 

We sat waiting for her to wake and before we knew it, the sun was starting to rise. She took her time and my stomach had just about given up demanding food, I can’t stand being hungry. The others made such a fuss about her lovely dark hair resting against her pale porcelain like face with small plump red lips and long dark eyelashes. Nonsense really, but then they love to make a fuss. Don't get me wrong she was pretty but I am not into all that. I don’t take much notice. 

Once Snow White, that was her name she revealed, had got over the excitement of meeting such handsome little gentlemen. Her words not mine. She told us all her story and though I tried to be understanding, it can't be nice living with the awful stepmother. We had all heard many terrible things about her; you didn't want to be her enemy that meant certain death. But I still had damp dirty clothes on, I was still hungry and now I was sleepy, I needed my bed and the warmth of our cottage. So admittedly I did rush her story and interrupt her repeatedly when I felt he was taking too long. Next thing I knew the others had decided to invite her home. No one bothered to consult me! They didn't let me mull it over and look at it from all angles as I do with most decisions. I mean the cheek! It's my cottage too! Speaking of which, whose bed would she sleep in? She certainly wasn't having mine. I don't care who she is or how mesmerizingly beautiful. Seeing as Happy and Bashful are always so willing and nice they can give up their beds.

Once we got to the cottage and showed Snow around we had a quick coco with bread and butter and had a view hours sleep before having to go to work again. Snow was a bit worried about staying home alone but none of us could really stay to keep her company. Either way I was not in a good mood at all, after such few hours’ sleep who can blame me. I grabbed my tools with a grumble and scrambled out of the cottage doing my best to keep up with my stupid housemates singing that retched song across the forest, heigh-hoing and whistling. If I hear that song one more time I might explode! Did I mention I am not a morning person?

Work was no different to any other day, we had advanced very little in the past few days mining. I was glad the morning work was over and looked forward to going home and removing my dust encrusted boots for a few hours before returning. The rain had cleared overnight so that the sky was now wonderfully blue, not a cloud in sight. The birds were chirping away happily and I even caught a glimpse of some rabbits in the grass. Spring was definitely in the air, I secretly love this time of year. 

Our cottage was no less outstanding that particular day, I think every surface sparkled. Snow had spent the entire morning cleaning it seemed. The cottage was gleaming, there were fresh daffodils on the window seals and the table was laden with wonderful food. We tucked in to our meal and listened to Snow thanking us for letting her stay. I can’t remember the last time we had soup, a main dish and desert.  Even I felt a little less grumpy after having my share of food. It seems I had nothing to complain about. When the time came to head out again we warned Snow to not venture out as it may be dangerous for her alone in the dark. She was not to open the door to anyone no matter who they claimed to be. I was apprehensive as it is well known her Stepmother always had a way of finding things out. 

We rushed home from the mine looking forward to what Snow may have cooked up for us and looking forward to our beds with their fresh crisp sheets. As we approached the cottage it was clear something was not right. The door was slightly ajar, we ran the last bit towards the cottage and there lay Snow. Just inside the cottage, she looked sound asleep but nothing seemed to wake her. She was cold to the touch and appeared to have stopped breathing. I was furious, why did she open the door? We were so clear about this. Who had done this to her? What did we do know?

We brought her in and lay her on Dopeys bed, as it was the nearest one to the door. There she lay, day and night. After the third night we had to accept she may never wake up. We took her into the forest and surrounded her with flowers. She did look beautiful; her lips were still as red as the day we met her which seemed odd in her otherwise lifeless body. Every evening we returned to check on her and nothing had changed. The birds had taken to singing in the trees around her, it seemed they wanted to keep her company. I was still furious that this could have happened. On one such evening a Prince appeared. Some might have said he was rather handsome, I only noticed how he kept staring at Snow. He claimed he would take her to his castle and hire the lands best doctors to bring her out of that deep sleep he thought she was in. We told him many days had passed and it didn’t seem she was going to wake up. We explained or theory, a ruby red apple was resting on the floor next to her when we found her and it had also remained frozen in time. The apple had not changed colour the way apples do after only a few minutes so it must have contained something to cause this. He promised to keep us informed if only we allowed him to try to help. We had little choice but to accept we knew none of us had any better ideas. As the prince bent over to carry her he gave her the slightest of kisses and as if by magic Snow slowly seemed to free herself from whatever had caused her to be unable to wake.

From the moment her eyes focused on the Prince I knew we had lost Snow. Their eyes twinkled when they looked at each other it was clear they wanted to be together. Snow promised she would visit and she has continued to do so, I think she can’t resist coming, so that’s how we met your mama Snow. Now can I please have some peace and quiet? Go and play with one of the others I need some rest